For
some students, staying connected to their heritage while in college
and establishing their own identity can be a difficult task.

Three
students with diverse African backgrounds shared their stories on how
they have forged their paths while remembering the countries that raised
them

Ghana

Gifty
Adjoa Akofio-Sowah said she feels its important to know and engage
with her African roots. With a father from Ghana and a mother from Bosnia,
Akofio-Sowah lived in her fathers country for two years. There
she learned the local culture and created relationships with her family.

As
a young girl in Ghana, Akofio-Sowah learned important lessons, such
as respect, which is highly valued in the country, she said.

Living
there as a child is so refreshing, she said.

Now
an urban development sophomore, Akofio-Sowah is hopeful about the future
of Ghana, she said.
We still have a long way to go, Akofio-Sowah said, but
were getting there.

As
first-generation Africans graduate from college, many have the desire
to return to their native land and help, she said.

Africa
is not a dead end, Akofio-Sowah said.

Ghana
was the first country in which African slaves were taken for trade and
the first African country to establish independence from Britain.

(Note:
There is a photograph of Akofio-Sowah. The caption reads: Global
studies sophomore Gifty Akofio-Sowah moved to Ghana at age 11 with her
father. Akofio said that although she is an African-American, she identifies
more with her African roots.)

Egypt

Nadine
Abou-Karams parents were born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt,
the second largest city in the country.
Although Abou-Karam was born in the United states, her family moved
back to Egypt when she was 4-years old.

They
wanted (my brother and I) to get a base for our roots, she said.

As a Muslim,
Abou-Karam said living in Alexandria helped her develop her religious
beliefs further. Bells rang throughout the city several times a day
as calls to prayer.

Although
she had many fond memories of the country, Abou-Karam said sometimes
day-to-day tasks such as filling out government forms can be hard in
Egypt.

Daily
life is a struggle, she said.

Abou-Karam
brought her Egyptian traditions to Minneapolis, using a digital alarm
clock as a reminder for prayer and speaking Arabic at home.

The
way I carry myself, (people) know Im Egyptian, she said.

Because
of her heritage, Abou-Karam said she has been asked some strange questions
about Egypt, like if she lived in a pyramid, or if she walked like an
Egyptian.

Abou-Karam
said she is occasionally treated differently in the United States because
of her race, and has been stopped at the airport because members of
her family were wearing head coverings.

Now a
sophomore, Abou-Karam said she hopes to study pharmacy in the future
and return to Egypt.
I feel like I fit in there, she said.

Egypt
has a primarily Muslim population and holds one of the most famous rivers
in the world, the Nile.

Nigeria

The last
time Niyi Ayinde visited Nigeria, the home of both of his parents, was
for a funeral when he was in the seventh grade.

I
think you lose your heritage if you want to, said the junior psychology
student.

Although
he said he doesnt want to live in Nigeria permanently, many of
the nations traditions have permeated his life in Minneapolis.

Being
born in America and having African roots is the best of both worlds,
he said.

Images
of violence in Nigeria have dominated television for the past few months,
but Ayinde said life there was very similar to that in the United States.

I
really didnt see a big difference, he said.

Ayinde
stressed that the typical portrayal of Africans, as living in huts and
hunting animals, is incorrect.
He also said he has hope that his country will someday reunite and rid
government corruption.

It
can definitely change, he said.

Nigeria
has a history of corrupt governments and military coups. Recently, the
country elected Umaru Yar'Adua amid controversy over fraudulent voting
procedures.

Roots
Affect Student Lives by Kathryn Nelson, The Minnesota Daily,
April 25, 2007 p. 1 & p. 5. The Minnesota Daily is the student newspaper
at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Commentary

Compare
the above story from a college student daily with Inger! A Modern-Day
Viking Discovers America.

Inger
Sites was a Norwegian immigrant, married to an American, who looked
objectively at life in America from an outsiders point of view.
She found both good and bad in American life. She approached the subject
as someone intending to remain in the United States.

The story
of these three African students at the University of Minnesota takes
a different approach. The student from Ghana and from Egypt state explicitly
that they identify more with their African heritage than that as someone
living in America. Furthermore, they intend to return to Africa after
they finish their studies. The student from Nigeria is more even handed,
although he, too, is drawn to Africa, calling Nigeria my country
(or maybe these are the reporters words).

To the
three African students, America seems filled with ignorant people who,
for instance, think that Egyptians live in pyramids or Nigerians are
game hunters. There is a hint of racial and religious prejudice in the
Egyptian students statement that she is occasionally treated differently
in America because of her race and that she has been stopped
at airports for wearing Muslim head gear. Otherwise, little is said
of American identity; at least, nothing good.

On the
whole, it would seem that the United States of America is a soulless
place, incapable of creating strong personal identities. It seems more
a place with resources to be taken advantage of. Go to college in America
to acquire certain credentials or skills and then head back to another
country, which is the persons true home, to seek identity and
satisfaction in life.

I would
point out that, for some of us, America is our home - our only home.
If America itself is incapable of supporting healthy personal identities,
then we are doomed.

The difference
in Inger Sites perception and that of the African students may
have to do with the different countries from which the immigrants came:
Scandinavia or countries in north Africa. Just as likely, it has to
do with the different time periods.

Inger
Sites came to the United States in the 1940s when America stood for
something - freedom, social equality, democracy. Now, in the first decade
of the 21st century, American society is organized as an empire that
launches unprovoked wars against other countries.

This society
is all about getting ahead personally, with little thought
given to the health and well-being of the community. People take from
America and give back little in return. Is there a core of identity
to build on for Americans that would give them a legitimate sense of
pride in themselves and their community?